China’s Southeast Asia Gas Pipeline Company (SEAGP) said they act responsibly in their handling of compensation for the land disputes stemming from the Myanmar-China gas-pipelines.

SEAGP released the press statement after the local people in Kyaukphyu area voiced demands for confiscated lands under the gas pipeline project.

The company has invited the locals to contact their office regarding with the compensations for any damaged crops and confiscated lands.
According to their press release, SEAGP will investigate all the cases and if it has actually caused the damages or loss, it will take the responsibility. If the loss is not because of the company, the cases will be transferred to the local authorities, the statement said.

The local people led by a group named Kyaukphyu Social Network earlier wrote a letter making demands to the pipeline’s project company and the authorities. But SEAGP and its shareholding China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) said they have not received any letter, according to the press release.

“We sent our letter to MOGE [Ministry of Oil and Gas Enterprise], CNPC, Daewoo Company and township and district authorities. MOGE and Daewoo didn’t accept our letter. CNPC and township authorities accepted it,” a source from Kyaukphyu Network said.

“The letter is not about the demands of Kyaukphyu Social Network; it’s the demands of people living in 23 villages along the pipelines. Our group, Sky Youth Association and Maday Development Association have helped the villagers,” he added.

The Myanmar-China oil and gas pipelines run parallel from the coastal township of Kyaukphyu through Magway Region, Mandalay Region, and Shan State before entering China's Yunnan providence through the border town of Ruili. The gas pipeline is 793 km long and the oil pipeline is 771 km long.

The gas pipeline will carry a capacity of 5.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year during the initial period and up to 12 billion cubic meters in later years, according to earlier reports.